You Remind Me of Him
by danijo08
Summary: Not in Rosewood and there is no Hanna, Emily or Spencer. Aria lives in a small Minnesota town and has her whole life, which just got harder. Will her new, young English teacher help her put her life back together, or make it fall further apart?
1. Chapter 1

****DISCLAIMER: I do not own Aria, Ezra or any of Aria's family. These characters and their personalities belong to ABC Family and Sara Shepard!****

**January 2011**

"I have colon cancer." As soon as Aria heard the words out of her father's mouth, that frigid Minnesota January morning got a hell of a lot colder. She knew it was going to be hard. She knew her life was going to change. The thing she didn't expect was that she'd have to be the strong one and where putting her life back together would take her.

**August 2011**

It was two weeks after the day she buried the man who had shaped her whole world. Aria was always close with her father, as he was head of the English department at their local college, and she was a writer herself. She remembered the afternoons they'd spend together at their local bookstore, Books n' Things. She could still smell the wood that lined the walls and ceiling of the community theatre where they watched plays together on Saturday mornings. It was cedar, just like the wood that composed her dad's desk. It was where she sat this morning, trying not to cry as she'd already done her makeup. But how could she not cry? How could she be so strong, when her own mom couldn't even get out of bed? She'd never dreamt that on the morning of her first day as a senior at Collins High School that she'd double as the person in charge of getting her brother Mike up and ready for his 8th grade year. Wasn't that her mom's job?

"Aria, I'm going to be late." Mike said, interrupting her thoughts. "Is Mom up yet?" Aria could sense a hint of worry in his voice, but it was mostly masked with frustration. Mike, at 13 years old, had just lost his one male role model. His mom, rather than taking on both roles, faded more into the background, leaving Aria to pick up the slack. As a self-proclaimed 'fixer,' she'd give everything she had to be everything that mike needed. After all, he was her brother.

"I don't know mike. How about I take you today? Just let me grab my stuff." Aria got up from her dad's desk and left to grab her bag out of her room. Two minutes later, she came down the stairs with a twinkle in her eye, a mere change from her demeanor in her dad's den. "Let's get going." Despite how the past two weeks had been, she was excited to get to school and find what her senior year would have to offer her.

Aria and Mike got into her silver Grand Am parked on the street. She turned the key over and they took off down the twisted cul-de-sac. The street was lined with trees that over-hung like a canopy. When she thought of that street and the blanket of leaves that covered it, Aria thought of her father and the two weeks he spent teaching her how to ride without training wheels down the sidewalk that outlined that very street. The pure look of pride in his eyes when she finally rode on her own was a look she never wanted to see fade. She had only wanted to make him proud his whole life, and that's all she wanted to see now as well. Maybe that's why she was trying so hard to keep this family together. He couldn't be proud if it fell apart.

Aria pulled up in front of Collins Middle School giving Mike just five minutes to spare, which meant in order to make it the seven blocks to the high school and park, she would be walking into first period late. She'd hoped her teacher wouldn't mind. She tried to remember the schedule she had gotten in the mail earlier that week to think of who she would be pissing off on this glorious morning. Was it Mrs. Anderson and her over powering uni-brow? Or Mr. Gowalaski, the senior aged, history teacher whom she was sure would seat her in the front of the room for his own guilty pleasure? She'd have to remember not to wear a skirt. She then remembered with just two blocks to spare that it was a Mr. Fitz, her new English teacher to be exact. She hadn't met him before as it was his first year, so she assumed he must be young. At any rate, English was her favorite subject, and she'd hate to disappoint her new English teacher. As she pulled into the lot, she adjusted her cream camisole, so it was positioned perfectly under her short, leather jacket, for the very purpose of making a good impression on Collins' latest addition to the staff.


	2. Chapter 2

Aria walked into the school and found her locker. The halls were quiet as everyone else was already in class. This was fine, except she hadn't seen her best friend Christy in over a week and was eager to meet up before class. She took out her schedule and saw that Mr. Fitz's class was in room 214. She walked up to the second floor and quietly entered the room from the door located in the back of the classroom. She looked up to the front of the room and immediately noticed a pair of piercing blue eyes staring right back into her own brown orbs. So this was Mr. Fitz. Not bad, for a nerd. Okay, so he wasn't a nerd. He was only the most gorgeous guy she'd ever seen. Too bad he was clearly unattainable, and for God's sake, how could a man like this be single? There wasn't a chance.

He was in the middle of saying something regarding where they would sit when she walked in. He immediately stopped talking and said, "You must be Aria. Go ahead and sit wherever you'd like." He stopped talking only to let his eyes linger on her another few seconds before licking his lips and continuing. "As I was saying, I don't believe in seating arrangements. You're all seniors taking a college level English course so I'd expect that you will behave well no matter where you're seated."

Aria took a seat next to her best friend Christy. They gave each other a knowing glance, with smirks as they looked back and forth between their new teacher and each other. Apparently Christy noticed this man's insanely good looks as well. Not only were his eye's the bluest of baby blues, his hair was dark brown; tousled locks of curly love. She was mesmerized by his hips; she'd always had a thing for hips. And judging by the way they moved as he walked back and forth across the front of the room, he would know how to use his well. She was almost sure that connected to those hips, hiding under the navy blue vest, was a nice set of chiseled abs. She couldn't be positive, but it would definitely be a nice thing to think about for the next hour.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice, which was just deep enough to send her hormones racing wild. "Instead of the typical, 'let's go around and say our names and something interesting about ourselves' first day activity, I'd like to start out with something different. You all know each other and have for years. I on the other hand would love to get to know each and every one of you, as well as your writing styles. So, each one of you are going to write me a paper, an autobiography of sorts. In it, you can let me know whatever you think I need to know about you to make this year move along smoothly."

As he said the word 'smoothly' Aria started to think about just how _smoothly _she could run her hand through his hair. She stopped herself as quickly as the thought came though, as she knew that this was entirely inappropriate for her to think. She came back to in time to hear him say, "You won't be graded on grammar or spelling, but I do ask that you try your hardest because it will give me an idea of where each of you are in your writing abilities and what I have to work with. Are there any questions?"

As badly as she wanted to, Aria avoided raising her hand. She figured that questions about his current relationship status on Facebook probably weren't the kinds of questions he was referring to. Instead, she took out her notebook and started to write.

"_My name is Aria Lydia Montgomery and I am 17 years old. Two weeks and four days ago, I lost my father to cancer. He was the light that guided me through thick and thin and I am forever grateful for the time we had together. I am a writer, because that's who he made me, so I hope to do very well in this class."_

She continued to write about her hobbies and hopes for the future. She was aiming solely to impress this new teacher and hoped he would find her writing impeccable. The bell rang without giving her time to finish. As the class stood to leave, Mr. Fitz spoke over the hustle. "Please finish up your autos and type them up. I will collect them at the beginning of class tomorrow." As Aria walked past his desk, he added, in what she wished to be a seductive voice, "Aria, please don't come late again." Although it didn't happen, she was sure he had meant to wink after that statement. As she passed by, she stopped and turned just to say, "Of course, Mr. Fitz. I'll be sure to come when you want me to." With that, she turned back and smiled to herself as she made her way to Mr. Gowalaski's history class.


	3. Chapter 3

During lunch that day Aria finally got a chance to catch up with Christy. She walked up to their table with her eyes beaming. "Hey Christy!" Aria practically yelled, while drawling out the "e" in "hey." How was the week at your Grandma's? Did you get a sun lotion rub down from 'Mr. Pool Boy Hottie' like you'd hoped?" The girls both giggled as they embraced before sitting back down.

"Oh, you know, of course I did… not! My grandma has a very watchful eye. Besides, I think she has a thing for Brian herself. Please tell me how _you _do it though. How are you here right now acting like the past two weeks didn't happen?" Christy asked with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

Aria sighed, "I hardly think I'm as strong as you seem to believe. I'm practically breaking down inside. I just can't let it show. I have barely seen my mom in the past two weeks and I can see how it's just tearing Mike apart. I just don't want to see him fly off the deep end without someone there to catch him."

"Aria, I completely understand, but it's your senior year of high school. You can't be Mike's everything, just his sister. Your mom will get back to being herself eventually. Maybe you should look into finding him someone to talk to, maybe a 'Big Brother'?" Christy suggested. "I mean really, there's a reason you don't have a kid while you're in high school like that slut Blaire Paisley. Why should you pretend you are a parent to Mike?"

Aria winced at her idea. "I appreciate the insight, but really, I don't think Mike is a 'Big Brother' kind of kid. He'd be too embarrassed to be seen anywhere, as if his friends would understand what he's going through?"

As if he knew she needed a distraction, Mr. Fitz walked past the girls' table to get to the trash. While Aria thought to herself how gorgeous he looked, Christy was a little more outspoken. "Wow, look at the butt on him! I didn't think it was legal for teachers to be so good looking!"

"Christy, seriously. The man probably has a girlfriend." Aria played it cool. There was no way she'd let her friend see her as the young, immature high school girl with a crush on a teacher.

As lunch ended, the girls departed and went their separate ways. The rest of the day seemed to go all too quickly for Aria, as she was dreading going home to cook supper for Mike, do laundry, and her homework for the next day. Maybe taking all AP classes and playing mom to Mike was too much, but what choice did she have? She pulled up at the middle school at 3:53 to pick Mike up. "Where's Mom?" he asked, fully knowing that she probably hadn't left her room all day.

The brother and sister drove home in silence. When they got there, their mom was in the kitchen, but only long enough to ask if they needed any money for take-out. Aria accepted, as it'd save her one step for the night. She grabbed the phone and ordered a pizza for delivery. After they ate and she put the dishes in the dishwasher, she headed up to her room. She could hear Mike's music blaring, and decided it was best to leave him to his vices.

She sat down at her desk and began to type her autobiography. With every word she poured out, she hoped that Mr. Fitz would see how talented she truly was. Maybe he would take a liking to her that he didn't to other students. It's not that she wanted to seduce him; she just wanted an older man in her life to give her what she was missing at home. It's odd, but in the one hour she had spent in his class, she had begun to see so much of her father in him. The way he talked, the way he dressed, and his philosophies on teaching and allowing students to take ownership for their own learning. Mr. Fitz was not only amazing eye candy; he had depth to him too. She just knew it.

She showered before bed and thought of what she would wear the next day as she combed through her long, chestnut brown hair. She then laid out her outfit for the next day. She wanted it to be perfect. Not to impress him, she kept telling herself, but just because she needed something to be perfect in her life. As she crawled into bed, she said a small prayer, asking that her family might pull through. She looked over and said good night to the photo of her dad on her night stand before pulling the chain on her lamp. In a life full of unexpected changes, she valued these rituals, small as they may be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Wow, thank you all for the kind reviews. I wasn't expecting so much so soon! This is my first story so it means a lot! I feel like I've updated a lot in one day… I've been way bored so what more did I have to do? Besides study, because that might have been a better plan! Regardless, here is one less chapter for the day, but do not expect 4 chapters a day on a regular basis ;) I tried to make this one a little longer aaand it has your first, true Ezria interaction. I promise they will become more frequent, I just had to set the stage for what she's dealing with at home because it does affect the relationship they have! Thanks again and I hope you all continue to READ and REVIEW! It makes my day. - dani**

The next morning Aria woke up with sun streaming through her windows. She knew it couldn't be a bad day if the sun was shining. She got up and went to the bathroom and twisted her hair into a bun to wash her face. She then let it down, and curled it with a large barrel iron. She did her makeup, but not too heavy. She didn't feel the need today. She was feeling good about today, and good about herself.

She went to wake up Mike, but he was already up. He seemed to be feeling less confident about the day, but she chalked it up to him not being a morning kid. "Mike, be ready in 15 minutes so we can go, alright? I have breakfast waiting for you downstairs."

She went downstairs and poured herself a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and a glass of Simply Orange. She took her vitamin and watched as Mike came groggily down the stairs. "I'm not hungry. I'm not eating breakfast." Mike was not usually so defiant, but it was just breakfast so there was no use arguing. "Let's just go," he said, as he practically ran out the door.

They drove again in silence. Aria made it to class 15 minutes early today and turned her paper in as soon as she got there. Mr. Fitz was sitting at his desk when she walked up, with a slight bounce in her step. "Here you go Mr. Fitz," she said. "I wanted you to have this now, so you can get a head start on reading them. I know how hard it was for my dad to have to get through like, 50 papers a day."

"Oh, thanks Aria. I'm glad to see you found your way on time today." He slightly laughed as he said this, letting her know it was a joke. She sat down in the second row over from his desk, the third seat back. Not too close, yet not too far either. "You don't have to… sit in here, you know that right?" he asked with a hint of hesitation. None the less, she found it kind of cute.

"Oh, I know." she said matter of factly. "I like getting to class early when I can. It's peaceful; gives me time to think. Just go about your grading and don't mind me." She took out her notebook and started jotting things down. Mr. Fitz took notice, but shook his head as he figured they were probably just random thoughts or assignments for the day. He looked down and began to read her autobiography.

Some time had passed when he looked up at her, rubbing his head with his hand like he was thinking real hard. "Wow, Aria. This is… this is amazing. I…" He was interrupted by the sound of the first bell and kids starting pouring in the classroom. He looked up at them only to look right back at her as quickly as he could manage. "I would like to see you after school today, if you have time. I'd like to talk to you about your paper."

"Absolutely." She obliged, like she had nothing better to be doing. Mike could wait, right? After all, this was regarding school work, not cute boys. When the rest of the class got there, he began his lesson. Aria tried her hardest to pay attention, but it was hard when she had already read the book anyway. It was To Kill a Mockingbird, and she knew it back and forth. It was her dad's favorite, and she had grown to love it as well. Not only did this seem repetitive, but was it just the lighting, or did he seem to be even cuter yet today? The bell rang, signaling the end of class and the end of cute boy lectures. Aria got up to leave, saying goodbye to Mr. Fitz on the way. "See you after school," she said.

"See you after school?" Christy questioned. "Damn, Aria. Get it!"

"Oh Christy, you crack me up. It's hardly what you're thinking, or hoping should I say. He just wants to see me about my autobiography."

"You mean he already read it? We just turned them in today."

"Yeah, I know. I came a little early so I gave it to him when I got here. No big deal, really." Aria sure did get sick of her immature attitude towards guys sometimes, but Christy was still her best friend and she loved her for who she was. "Look, I've got to get to class. I'll see you later, kay?" The two went their separate ways. Aria spent the rest of her day counting down the minutes. The clock couldn't seem to move any slower.

When it was finally 3:20, Aria went to her locker, grabbed her bag and went straight to room 214, all in a matter of five minutes. She was excited to get his take on her writing. She was almost positive he had really enjoyed it. She knocked before walking in. "Ah, Aria. Come on in and have a seat." He waited for her to sit down in the desk closest to his before he continued with the reason he asked her there. "I was really shocked to read your paper, you know, about your dad and all..." Mr. Fitz started to say, showing as much sympathy in his voice as he could muster.

Disappointed, Aria interrupted. "Oh, yeah... It's a crappy situation, but I'm dealing with it the best I can." She was really hoping he'd comment on the writing, but at least he was acknowledging what she must be going through.

"I mean, it's so much more than that though Aria. I… I've been there. I guess that's why I was so taken back by reading your paper." Mr. Fitz stopped to loosen his tie before continuing. "I actually lost my dad at the beginning of my freshman year of high school. I know, weird. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know what you're going through and I am here if you need anything, anytime, Aria."

Aria tried to gather her words. This didn't usually happen; her being at a loss for words _or _meeting someone with such a similar situation. "Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that. You seem so put together and sure of yourself in class. I feel like you always expect someone who's gone through something so tragic would act different."

"Some do, act different that is," he said. "But for the most part, I feel like you, too, carry yourself very well for having just gone through it two weeks ago. I wouldn't have guessed it by the way you act and talk… or walk."

"The way I walk? What does that mean? You've been watching me walk?" she asked with the raise of an eyebrow. They both laughed for a quick second before he stopped and cleared his throat.

"Um... no," he said, trying to avoid an answer that would get him in trouble. "But I just notice things. You don't walk with a sulk, rather with your head high. You walk with confidence. Not what you'd expect just two weeks after your father's passing. I like it, though."

"Wow, thanks I guess?" Aria said with a coy smile on her face. How does one respond to a statement like that, coming from her teacher?

"Look, I should let you go, Aria. I've got more papers to read and I'm sure you have somewhere to be. Just remember what I said. I am here, anytime, any reason. You just have to ask."

"No problem." Aria said. "Thank you so much for being here, it means a lot. Most of my teachers have avoided the situation like the plague. Like if they say something, I might fly off the deep end the first time I hear the word 'Dad'. I guess I'll see you tomorrow though, thanks again."

Aria turned to walk out, and Mr. Fitz looked down at his desk, trying not to watch her walk. When she got to the door, he looked up. "For the record, you're an _amazing _writer as well, Aria." She smiled, and walked away, pleased with how her day had ended.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Aria reached the middle school to pick up Mike, he had been sitting outside for roughly 20 minutes. Not hardly pleased by the fact that Aria was picking him up yet again instead of his mother, or by the taunting laughs of the numerous "popular" boys as they passed him on their bikes. For some reason, these kids who he used to consider his friends found it so entertaining that he didn't have a father, while they still did. "And to be forgotten at school?" one of the boys asked as they whizzed past just minutes before Aria showed. "Wow. That family must _really_ be falling apart. I wouldn't be surprised if Mike turned into one of those losers who listen to emo music and dye their hair black."

Mike got in the car, but not without showing his disdain for Aria's apparent lack of guilt for being late. He slammed the door and would not look at Aria. The next 10 minutes were filled with silence between the sound of Mike's constant groans and Aria's feeble attempts to make small talk. Mike of course disregarded each attempt, opting to look out his window with his head down low.

As soon as they got home, Mike immediately threw his bag down and turned right back out the door. "Where are you going?" Aria asked. It was her duty after all, since their mother wasn't even anywhere to be found in the house.

"Out," Mike said, making no eye contact with his sister, slamming the door on his way, leaving Aria to eat dinner alone.

She called and ordered Chinese take-out, and grabbed her laptop to start her homework. She had been working for what seemed like hours, but still didn't manage to get much done.

When she tried to work, her mind was consumed with thoughts of all the men in her life. '_Mr. Fitz. God, he is so good looking. And what was that about watching me walk?' _She knew these were irrational thoughts, and she should be working, but each thought led to another. '_What the hell is up with Mike anyway? He is not acting like himself. Should I be worried?' _And then another. '_If Dad was here it wouldn't be this way. If Dad was here, we'd be a family. If Dad was here…' _But those thoughts did her no good. '_I wonder what Mr. Fitz is doing right now? Probably sitting at home, enjoying dinner with the girlfriend that I just know he has, while I'm here alone with Chinese takeout and a pile of crap that just isn't getting done._' And of course, it really wasn't getting anywhere. The thoughts just kept coming, back and forth between Mr. Fitz, Mike, and her dad, until all three men were blurred together in one gigantic thought. _'And sure, Mr. Fitz lost his dad when he was a teenager, but I doubt he had a teenage brother who was lost and confused because of it. No one has it as hard as me. If Mr. Fitz were in my position, he'd know how to handle it, because he was a young boy too. He'd know what to do about a young boy dealing with this issue. Not me. What do I know?' _

All of the sudden, the thoughts made sense. All of this wasted time on things she shouldn't be thinking about culminated into one, what she assumed just had to be a great idea. Who was she kidding? This idea wasn't great. It was the king of all great ideas ever thought! She knew a way that she could solve her problem of wanting to get to know Mr. Fitz better, on a more personal level, and fix the problem with Mike! She could ask Mr. Fitz to spend time with them, only for the purpose of helping her brother through this tough time, of course. He had been through a very similar situation himself, and as a man, he could be just the kind of role model that Mike needed in his life. And with one last distracted moment before finishing her homework, she thought to herself. _'I mean really, could this idea get any better? I knew I was smart, but damn…'_

Just as she slammed her last textbook shut, she heard the door open. "Mike?" she called down the hall with a sense of worry in her voice. It was 10:30, on a school night none the less, and he still wasn't home. She heard no immediate response to her question, but was soon shocked to hear a muffled laughter coming from the doorway; a muffled _female_ laughter. '_Does Mike have a girl with him?'_ she thought with shock, making her way through the hall. _'It couldn't be…'_ "Mom?!" Aria said with question in her voice as she walked into the foyer to see her mom, arms dangled around some blond-haired, thirty something year old male with a perfect teeth and a staggering height difference over her mother's petite body.

Just when she'd thought she'd had all her problems sorted out. She would spend more time with Mr. Fitz. Mike's problems were going to get better. They were both going to have an older male role model to look up to. But how was she supposed to fix this? It had barely turned three weeks since her father passed, and here her mother was standing in the doorway of her home, _their_ home, _HER FATHER'S_ home, all googly-eyed over some man she had to have just met. She didn't even realize her mother knew her way out of her bedroom anymore, let alone that she knew her way around a curling iron and makeup still. Yet here she was, all decked out in curls and lace.

"Aria…" her mother said, embarrassed, and at that very moment it all hit Aria smack in the face. Her world was crumbling, and her mother didn't even care. She turned and sprinted up the stairs to her room, not staying long enough to hear what her mother had to say.


	6. Chapter 6

Aria woke up, trying to ignore the pounding in her head from a night of restlessness. Between her taunting thoughts about her family life being in shambles, and her eyes that she couldn't stop from pouring tears, she had barely gotten any sleep. She got out of bed anyway, because she knew she had to be strong. She threw on her best pair of fitted and distressed Abercrombie and Fitch jeans, knowing that they showed just enough leg through the strategically placed holes to let a man's eye wander. She found a v-neck black shirt to put over a light gray camisole, allowing it to show just enough cleavage to be border line school-inappropriate. She finished off her look with her long brown locks in a sexy-chic messy bun, some black eye-liner and purple eye shadow, and a hint of pink lip gloss for good measure. Today was the day she was going to talk Mr. Fitz, and manage to get him to spend time with her, outside of school.

She went to Mike's room to make sure he was ready, vowing not to tell him about the condition in which she found their mother in the night before. She knew she smelled alcohol on her mom as soon as she walked by her as she had a really keen sense of smell, but she knew she couldn't think about that today either. Today was the day that everything would fall into place with her and Mr. Fitz. There was no ruining that.

She knocked on Mike's door, but heard no response. Suppose he hadn't even come home the night before? She was far too upset about her mom to hear if he had. She had no hesitation when she opened the door, because she needed to know he was there. "Mike, seriously, you need to get up!" she scolded when she noticed a pile under his blankets. She saw him stir under the covers and let go of the breath she was holding just long enough to breathe in and out again. Immediately, her keen sense of smell kicked in again. "Mike?! MIKE!" she yelled. She knew that smell. Mike came out of the covers as he practically screamed, "WHAT?! Leave me alone!"

"Oh, no! You do not get to tell me what to do right now!" she scolded in a hushed voice so her mom wouldn't hear. "Is that _pot_ I smell? Michael Andrew Montgomery!"

"What's it to you? You don't care about me." Mike said, with obvious hurt in his voice. Aria closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to choke back tears. She opened her eyes and took notice of her brother's appearance for the first time that morning.

"Oh... my… GOD! And is your hair _black?_" she asked with disgust in her voice. "Get dressed. We are not telling Mom about this. And for God's sake, turn on your Scentsy warmer. You've got to hide it better than this!"

Aria rushed out before she had time to say anything without thinking about how she would handle this first. On the bright side, this gave her plenty more reason to talk to Mr. Fitz about some one-on-two brother bonding time. On the other side, her family life had gone from bad to worse in a matter of 24 hours, and she didn't know how much more she could handle.

* * *

><p>She got to school 20 minutes early so she could be sure to talk to Mr. Fitz before any of the other students came in. She knew this was strictly platonic, or so she was still trying to convince herself, and that there was no way her request could be seen as inappropriate given the situation. Still, she felt that maybe it'd be best if this wasn't something her classmates knew about. After all, teenagers like them are always misconstruing situations and making drama out of nothing.<p>

Aria walked into room 214 without knocking since the door was open. Mr. Fitz didn't immediately look up as he didn't hear her enter. She sat there and watched him for a mere 30 seconds, taking in the way his luscious locks of brown curls cascaded over his forehead as he looked down at his lesson plan for the day. She was mesmerized by the way he chewed on the end of his black ink pen, imagining just how good it would feel to have him nibble on any part of her. _'Shit, Aria. Stop with the inappropriate thoughts. He's your teacher for God's sake._' she thought to herself as she made her way to his desk, finally garnering his attention for the first time since she walked in.

"Aria," he stated with happiness in his eyes. "Good to see you. How are you doing this morning? Here to take up my offer on a shoulder to lean on?"

Aria raised her left eyebrow with a look of question, to which Mr. Fitz responded, "I mean, in a non-literal way, of course. You know, like just, someone to talk to, or something. God, I'm rambling. How can I help you?" He spit out quickly as he cleared his throat in a manly way to cover up his embarrassment. For a young girl, she sure did have his attention, and he definitely wasn't blind to the way she was looking today.

Aria stood there, perplexed by his strange behavior for what seemed like minutes, although it was really just a matter of seconds. _'Say something, stupid.'_ she thought to herself. Why did this man make her so immaturely dumb? She had always thought of herself as having more to offer than other girls her age, but she was starting to wonder just how mature she really was.

"Um… yeah, actually, I was," she finally said, trying to sound as normal as possible under the circumstances. "I was just wondering; how did you deal with your dad's death? My brother Mike, he's about the age you were when, well, you know, and he's not handling it well. I am pretty sure he was even smoking pot last night, in his room of all places! And his hair, oh God, don't even get me started on his hair!"

Mr. Fitz let out a chuckle, and Aria couldn't help but notice the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed. "Let me guess, black?" he asked, all too knowingly.

"Oh no, you did it too?" Aria asked, as they both burst out laughing, together.


	7. Chapter 7

The next 20 minutes went by quickly; far too quickly for Aria's liking, and little did she know, it was far too quickly for Mr. Fitz as well. He had spent most of the previous 20 minutes recounting tales from his freshman year of high school and how he dealt with losing his dad. Much to Aria's surprise, he had actually found himself in a rough spot much like Mike himself. He said he was lucky enough to have an older brother who was 20 at the time to help him through things. Right before the bell rang Aria finally asked the question that she was dying to know the answer to.

"Mr. Fitz, I love your stories and hearing all this has been really helpful to me. But, what I was wondering was, if maybe, just maybe… I mean, I know you're busy and all and you probably have a girlfriend at home who demands a lot of your time, but could you maybe hang out with Mike a bit? You know, be like, a role model for him; someone to help him through this, because I'm not so sure I can."

Mr. Fitz cleared his throat again right as the bell rang. Aria loved the way he cleared his throat. There was just something about that sound. "Look, Aria… I know you're brother has it tough, but are you sure he would feel comfortable hanging out with some guy he doesn't even know? I mean, have you even asked him?"

"Oh, well I would obviously be with you guys, because, well, obviously it'd be weird since you don't know each other, and you at least know me." Aria responded, more as a question than a statement, hoping to change his attitude.

He shuffled in his seat, ran his hand through that gorgeous hair, and took a deep breath in as the class started to file in. "Um… well… okay. Okay, yes, I will do it. But you have to be there. I wouldn't want it to be too weird for him." Aria smiled as she watched him giving in, and through all the excitement running wild in her mind almost missed when he spoke again, much quieter this time. "And for the record, there's no girlfriend at home."

The day left in a blur, and before Aria knew it, it was time to go home and face her messed up family. She wasn't so excited to see her mom for the first time since the awkward exchange the night before. Luckily, she ran into Christy on the way out of the school.

"Aria! Hey, girl, hey!" Christy exclaimed. "Seriously, where have you been? I feel like I've barely heard from you since I've been back."

"Oh, I've been busy, with Mike, and my mom, who, by the way, has been totally weird lately. I think she's gone bipolar." Aria responded, confusion flowing given the weird circumstances. "One day she won't even leave her room and reminds me of Casper the ghost, and all the sudden out of nowhere she turns all Bachelorette on the night of the final rose ceremony. I can barely keep up. Coffee? Please say yes!"

"Of course, Aria! I'd never say no. Then can we go to the mall? I am just dying to get a new Coach purse, and Daddy just paid off my credit card, so there's plenty of room on it!"

It was so Christy to get whatever she wanted by her parents. This upset Aria a little, because she didn't have a "Daddy" to pay off her credit card for her, and she had no idea what was up with her mom.

Aria and Christy spent the next four hours drinking coffee, doing some serious retail therapy, and talking. It had been a great distraction, but all that didn't matter now that she was about to walk through the front doors of her broken home. As soon as she walked in, she noticed a light on in the kitchen. This was highly unusual, as Mike spent most of his time in his room, and her mom was usually nowhere to be found either. She decided to walk in and check it out. Surprisingly she found her mom sitting at the kitchen table, with a glass of wine, and a book. _'A book?'_ Aria thought, confused as she could be. _'Since when did she get so full of life?'_

"Hey, Mom," Aria said, with a hint of awkward tension in her voice. Her mom, Ella, hadn't even tried to talk to her since the night before.

"Oh, hey, Honey," Ella responded like nothing was different. "How was school? Where have you been?"

"School is fine, not that you've cared to ask at all since it started, but no, so far, the past two weeks of my life have been just dandy. Thanks for asking."

"Aria, I know things have been tough around here, but there is no need for the attitude. I am still your mother."

"Oh, you are? I didn't realize that. I didn't even realize you were still around until last night when I saw you practically throwing yourself at the guy, who by the way looks about five years too young for you!"

"He's only three years younger than me, and actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. It's not like you think, Aria. I didn't just meet him."

"Oh! Well, I'll be damned. That's even better Mom! Three weeks after you lose your _husband_ and you've already found some guy from your past. When will he be moving in; another week? Should I clear some space to make room for the kids he probably has, too? Maybe we could just clean out Dad's office!"

"Aria! There is no need to talk to me like I don't miss or love your father still! Things have been hard for me, too. Patrick _is _an old friend, yes, but your father knew him also. In fact, your father knew we were seeing each other."

This was getting to be too much for Aria. She was starting to think she didn't even hear her mom right. _'There is no way she just said… wait…' _"What?! You were seeing him BEFORE Dad passed away? Oh my God, this is just too much. You… you are unbelievable. How could you do that to him? To your husband, Ella! To me. And what about Mike?"

"It was your dad's idea. He knew Patrick, and Patrick had been a good friend to him. He didn't want to see me suffer, and he didn't want me to be alone. He knew I was having a tough time dealing with things, so he suggested I find someone to spend some time with to ease the pain. I didn't _want _to agree Aria. I really didn't _want_ to. But you know your father, he was stubborn, a trait you definitely inherited." Ella stopped, and smiled as she remembered her husband. "It took some time, but eventually, we both just knew he wasn't getting any better. He wouldn't give it up, in fact, it was his dying wish that I would try to move on. He wouldn't be happy unless I tried. Then he suggested Patrick. It seemed crazy, yes, but I made the call, mostly just to please your father. One date turned into two, and two into three, and before I knew it, there were actually feelings forming."

"Mom, you were cheating on Dad. I don't care if he told you to. Cheating is cheating."

"We didn't do anything, Aria. There were no kisses; I never stayed with him. It was strictly platonic; just two friends spending time with each other. I would have never cheated on your father, not even if he asked. I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but both your dad and I thought it would be best for you two. Please, Aria, I just lost your father. I don't even know where Mike is. Just please, don't you grow distant on me too."

"Maybe if you'd been here, and I don't just mean here, but really _here_ the past few weeks, you'd know where he was. I need to go do homework." Aria turned and made her way out the kitchen, but Ella followed her to the stairs.

"Patrick's really great, Aria. I'd really like for you to meet him. Please, just think about it." She said, one last plea before Aria disappeared into her room.


End file.
